05/12/2003 05:36 PM House TRA

HB 304-JACK COGHILL BRIDGE TO THE INTERIOR                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HOLM  announced that  the first  order of business  would                                                              
be HOUSE BILL NO.  304, "An Act naming the Jack  Coghill Bridge to                                                              
the Interior."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HOLM  began the meeting  by referring to pictures  of the                                                              
bridge  [supplied by  the Department  of  Transportation &  Public                                                              
Facilities (DOT&PF)]  which crosses the  Nenana River at  the area                                                              
called "Rex Crossing."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 0148                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHN COGHILL, Alaska  State Legislature,  speaking                                                              
as the sponsor of  HB 304, clarified that the bridge  is currently                                                              
called "Bridge #216."   He said there is a story  behind naming of                                                              
the bridge,  and there is also  a story behind the  bridge itself.                                                              
He  told the  committee of  a conversation  that  his middle  son,                                                              
Joshua, had  with Joshua's  grandpa [Jack Coghill].   One  day, as                                                              
they  were driving  across  this  bridge on  their  way to  Healy,                                                              
grandpa told  the story of  how this bridge  came to be,  and ever                                                              
since  hearing that  story, Joshua  "put it  in his  head that  he                                                              
wanted to  do something about  it" - that  is, to name  the bridge                                                              
after his grandfather.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 0177                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  then told the committee that  in the early                                                              
1960s,  during the  time  his father  [Jack  Coghill]  was in  the                                                              
Senate,  before  there was  even  a road  coming  to  or from  the                                                              
bridge,  it received  appropriation  under  his guidance.    After                                                              
construction,  there  wasn't a  road  to or  from  the bridge  for                                                              
another  15 months.    He  said that  he's  had a  difficult  time                                                              
finding people  who were in the  legislature during that  time who                                                              
could tell  him more of the story.   He explained that  he doesn't                                                              
have more  of the story  from his dad  because he hasn't  told him                                                              
about HB  304 and is  hoping that the  naming of the  bridge would                                                              
come as a surprise.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HOLM commented  that a lot of the people  who served with                                                              
Jack Coghill  are no  longer with  us.  For  the record,  he noted                                                              
the  passing  of former  Senator  Bill  Waugaman that  morning,  a                                                              
great man who would be missed.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK said  this honoring of the  Representative's father                                                              
was well deserved.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0501                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MASEK moved  to  report  HB 304  out  of committee  with                                                              
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal  note.                                                              
There  being no  objection, HB  304  was reported  from the  House                                                              
Transportation Standing Committee.